Museum curator to show Roman army collection at APSU

A world-renowned military historian, author and museum curator will show some of his
personal collection of Roman military gear â€“ enough to outfit 10 Roman soldiers
â€“ as part of an exhibition at Austin Peay State University.
A world-renowned military historian, author and museum curator will show some of his
personal collection of Roman military gear — enough to outfit 10 Roman soldiers —
as part of an exhibition at Austin Peay State University.

Daniel Peterson, curator of the Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum at Fort Campbell, Ky.,
will present “The Roman Army in War and Peace: An Exhibition of Weapons, Armor and
Artifacts” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 10 in Trahern Theatre. A reception will follow
from 8-9 p.m. in the Trahern Gallery, Room 202. The display, open through Nov. 5,
is free and open to the public.

The exhibit, hosted by the APSU Department of Art, Department of History and Philosophy
and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, will feature 10 suits of armor
and about 30 helmets from Peterson's personal collection of Roman artifacts and replicas.

Peterson, who has been shown on educational films and television networks such as
the History Channel, is the author of “The Roman Legions,” a book on Roman military
equipment that has been translated into four different languages and sold in museums
throughout the world. He also organizes one of the largest and most accurate Roman reconstruction groups
in which he and his “comrades,” authentically armored, carry out battle simulations.
Some of the re-enactments have been conducted throughout Europe.

Dr. Dewey Browder, chair and professor of history and philosophy, said the exhibit
would serve as “a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in ancient history or
ancient warfare, especially those who might wish to study military history.”

Austin Peay is Tennessee's only university to offer the Master of Arts in Military
History, which is open to students with a bachelor's degree in any academic field.
The program offers both a thesis and non-thesis track, with all students completing
36 hours of coursework.

For more information about the Roman exhibition, contact Mary Sue Kern, interim gallery
director, by telephone at (931) 221-7334 or by e-mail at kernm@apsu.edu. To learn more about the M.A. in military history, contact Browder by telephone at
(931) 221-7924 or by e-mail at browderd@apsu.edu. -- Melony Leazer